As we step into 2023, it's time to look back at the past year and reflect on the amazing moments and experiences I've had. 2022 was a year of both challenges and triumphs, and a year that saw me grow and learn in ways I never thought were possible. From the highs of incredible career achievements to the lows of difficult personal moments, the past year was a rollercoaster that tested my limits and taught me valuable lessons along the way. It's time to take a look back and celebrate the journey that was 2022!
January 2022
It's always exciting to start a new year and think about all the possibilities and opportunities it may bring. So started with a dedication to being a better developer and working on my physical health. Developed a personal project being more serious than ever before after a friend challenged me to do so. For the first time ever - no Youtube video references just pure use of API documentation of various libraries. Played handball for the first time and participated in the University games with just 2 days worth of practice. Guess what, I got selected for ZONALS.🤾♀️
Started learning about web3 and blockchain and YO, I liked it! LFG.
February 2022
Wanted some time off the screen so visited a bird sanctuary I had always wanted to visit. It is a very beautiful place and I enjoyed every single moment I spent there in the boat watching an entire regiment of FLAMINGOS and clicking so many breathtaking photos.
Later continued my journey in learning web3 and blockchain basics along with developing some stuff. Met and bonded with a few friends from previous college whilst the small convocation was arranged and had a blast.
February was a calm and light month, basically. But yes I started competitive coding and was quite active on Codechef - a really good platform to practice coding for beginners and even pros. My friend and I use to take part in weekly challenges to improve our skills.
Bought a new domain for my portfolio too. LOL! 🚀
March 2022
March was literally a turning point in my life, experienced a small but very transformative heartbreak that changed my thought process. Decided to code like never before and then was introduced to some cool platforms to learn and build blockchain projects like LearnWeb3 and Buildspace. Got into a bit of frontend development for the projects I had to develop on these platforms and left my fear of frontend far behind. This time my friends and I decided to have a quick trip and we enjoyed River Rafting at Kolad, OH what a breathtaking experience it was!😍
Meanwhile learning web3 and competitive coding continues.
April 2022
April was a month full of dilemmas and gave me the clarity I needed in life. Overcame stage fright by opting to dance for a college event in front of 100+ people.
Visited Hyderabad after years and loved it this time. Finally, my hometown made me realize my mistakes and I corrected them this month after returning. Finally understood the meaning of the following quote,
In search of gold, don't lose a diamond! 💎
Decided to keep things simple and not pressurize myself with everything that I want at a single time and started to work on things that really mattered to me.
Also, donated blood for the first time :)🩸
May 2022
May was beautiful and jolly but in the meantime, it was also resourceful. I had been hearing all the buzz about web3 meetups and stuff so finally decided to attend one. I was so afraid to go alone that I dragged a friend with me there. But yeah! It was a cool networking session and made some really great friends there. Met Tamar from the Solana ecosystem there and I was really very inspired by her.
Worked on a Bill Spilting application with a completely new frontend framework this time. Building this one overjoyed me and boosted my self-confidence. My friends circle literally used this one to split bills amongst us. 🏆
Oh did I forget to mention? I even experienced a bike accident this month. Yes, my bike slipped over the water. GG!
June 2022
As the month of June approached, I knew that it would bring with it a host of new challenges and opportunities. One of the biggest challenges I faced was deciding how to spend my time and energy. There were so many different things I could be doing, and I wanted to make sure that I was making the most of every day.
One opportunity that presented itself was the chance to help a friend market the new app he had been working on at his startup, Foster Reads. 📚
I spent time working closely with the entire team, helping to create promotional materials and coming up with a marketing strategy for the event. It was a lot of work, but it was also extremely rewarding.
And here was the time for another web3 meetup, this time had a little less anxiety and met some cool builders there. We talked about blockchains, some project ideas, and other technologies.
July 2022
Bruh, my birthday month🎂, and for the first time in my life the exam month too. Anyway passed with a pointer of 9.43 and had a cute birthday date. Later this month worked on my first frontend freelance gig and delivered a good working prototype to the client. Improved my frontend skills 100x times. July was so worked up that I needed a break and so visited Lohgad at peak monsoon times. The weather was soothing and the trek was refreshing.
August 2022
In the never-ending search for internships, I finally landed one this month. Took up a frontend role at CFT Labs.🖥 Tried my hands on Solana too :P Attended my first web3 event away from the city and of course, it had to be Web3Conf Goa. I can sit all day and write about how difficult it was to reach Goa with all the roads blocked due to heavy rainfall. Thank God we reached safe, and then the event gave me a whole new experience of the tech industry. Networking sessions OP!
Returned to Pune with loads of memories only to realize I had lots of pending work from my new internship. I struggled to understand the code written by someone else and took too much time to settle in. Fell sick thrice with the pressure of work and realized I had to cope. After a few days, I started to work with more dedication and finally was at mental peace.
September 2022
Strived for the entire month working on the internship project, and learned so many new things about frontend development. Improved my problem-solving approach, error handling, and dynamic screen updations.
This month I wrote my first piece of article on a web3 project and researched the technical side of that project. It was finally time to say goodbye as I wanted something related to the blockchain field and later this month joined WowLabz as a technical writer for web3 and metaverse.✍
Meanwhile, I was continuing coding and learning Solidity too.
October 2022
October was a busy and exciting month for me, as I was given the opportunity to become the TPG Pune chapter lead. The Phoenix Guild, or TPG, is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to fostering education and diversity in the web3 community. ☀
As the TPG Pune chapter lead, I was responsible for organizing and leading events and initiatives in my local community. This was a big responsibility, but I was excited about the opportunity to make a difference in my community and help promote the values of the TPG.
I also started learning advanced Solidity from the TPG Solidity Bootcamp and it was really helpful for me to understand concepts in detail.
November 2022
November was a month full of firsts for me. One of the biggest achievements of the month was writing my very first blog on the ERC20 token standard and publishing it on Hashnode. This was a topic that I had been interested in for a while.
I also conducted my first workshop for Shardeum, a Layer 1 blockchain company. The workshop was focused on introducing participants to the basics of smart contracts and deploying custom tokens, and I was thrilled to be able to share my knowledge with a new audience.
In addition to these achievements, I was also accepted to participate in EthIndia, a web3 hackathon in Bangalore. This was a huge honor, as the hackathon is one of the most prestigious in the web3 community.
To top it all off, November was also the month that I took my very first flight. ✈ I was nervous but excited to embark on this new adventure, and I was looking forward to meeting new people and learning new things at the hackathon.
Overall, November was a month of growth and opportunity for me, and I was grateful for all of the experiences and challenges that it brought my way.
December 2022
Participating in EthIndia and the TPG Hacker House was an incredible experience for me. From the moment I arrived in Bangalore, I knew that this was going to be a special trip. I had the opportunity to speak at the dAOs 3.0 event in Bangalore.
The hackathon itself was an intense and exciting event, and I loved being surrounded by so many talented and passionate people. I was a little nervous at first, as I wasn't sure how well I would be able to keep up with the other participants. Unfortunately, things didn't go exactly as planned for our team. We struggled with project ideation and ended up having to pivot to a new idea at the last minute. It was a bit of a mess, but we were determined to make the most of the opportunity. In the end, we managed to pull together a quick project that got us through the hackathon. It wasn't our best work, but we were proud of what we had accomplished given the circumstances.
After returning to Pune from EthIndia, I was feeling energized and motivated to continue working on my skills. I had learned so much at the hackathon and had made some great connections, and I was determined to make the most of these opportunities.
One way that I decided to do this was by participating in a virtual hackathon. This was a new experience for me, as I had never participated in a virtual hackathon before. But I was excited for the chance to test my skills and see what I was capable of. I decided to go solo for this hackathon, which was a bit of a risk. But I was confident in my abilities and wanted to prove to myself that I could succeed as a solo hacker. The hackathon was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. I enjoyed the challenge of working on a project completely on my own, and I was proud of the end result. In the end, I was able to submit a project that I was really proud of, and I felt great about my progress.
The end of December was a cherry on top of an already exciting year for me. After months of hard work and dedication, I finally got a college placement offer as a developer at a highly sought-after software company. To top it off, I was also selected to be a member of the Developer DAO.✨
Quick recap
This entire year has been full of ups and downs, with moments of joy and sorrow, success and failure, having lots of fun to completely losing my mind. Despite the challenges, I have remained determined and motivated to keep pushing forward.
There have been times when things seemed impossible, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to overcome the obstacles in front of me. But I have always found the strength and resilience to keep going, and I am proud of everything that I have accomplished this year.
I have learned so much and grown in so many ways, and I am grateful for all of the experiences and challenges that have come my way. By sharing my experiences, I hope to provide insight and inspiration to others who may be going through similar experiences and to read amazing experiences by other developers you can check out posts for Dev Retro 2022 from Hashnode.
2023, I am waiting ....
Looking ahead to 2023, I have the energy and enthusiasm to make it an even more amazing year. I am excited about the opportunity to continue learning and growing, and I am ready to take on whatever challenges come my way.
No matter what the future holds, I know that I am up to the task, and I am confident that I will be able to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way. 🤝
